h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I need some advice guys!

After the collapse of my hard drive, a new one was installed and all seems fine.
However, although able to log on as Post Team (or shazz) and also post shortish replies to fora, I had been unable to add or update entries if more than about 50 words.
I am networked with TM, both using Win2000 and IE6 browser on a 24/7 cable connection.
I noticed, early this evening that, when TM was logged into h2g2, I could suddenly update/add with ease and speed. After he logged off, my problems re-appeared and I was timed out once more.
So, just now I logged him into h2g2 and tried again. Once more I can take advantage and use my accounts fully.
Any ideas why this should be occuring and any ideas of a solution? As far as I know, we are both using the same internet settings and running MaCafee online virus protection.

shazz

Sounds like he's acting as a channel for you in someway

When you say you're networked, which computer are you using as the master, yours or his? I don't know a lot about this but I think that might have something to do with it.

On the other hand it may just be a check box somewhere but I have no idea where to find it if it is! Can you remember any setting you haven't changed to match the ones on your old HD?

Mel *hopefully someone with a bit more knowledge will come and help soon!*

His is the master computer - I am just the humble periphery!

I used to run WinME, but now have Win2000 Pro - the settings for internet are all the standard ones, as far as I know, on both the computers - they get 'set' by MaCafee when you install it.

shazz

the 'master' as you've called it will be the server for your computer, it depends what your using, if you've got MS internet conection sharing then there are some options in there that you may have to change, if your using some Win2000 gateway or proxie software I'd have a look at the settings. it's a very strange error though.

-- DoctorMO --

I'll get TM to confirm what system exactly he's using

shazz

OK, I'm off the the alton towers meet for the weekend, so if anyone can step in, if not, you may have to wait sorry.

-- DoctorMO --

Apparently we use a 'hub' or router so I have my own direct internet connection as does TM.

shazz

Which is it? A hub or a router?

The most likely setup is that you've got a cable type modem plugged into one port on a hub and the two computers plugged into a port each. The first computer, the Master (TMs') will be the one set up to organise the bandwidth sharing, saying which of hte machines connected get to use the modem when. It's most likely to be the one running MacaFarce and as such will have the better connection. The Slave computer (yours) is most likely to be set up to access the internet "through a local network" as Windows puts it. When the slave looks for internet connection it'll just look for a dynamic IP address from somewhere and when it gets one it'll know it's hooked into the net and will then work. Not very fast mind you. If however the Master computer is switched on, then the slave will be told what IP address to use and will always look there for it's internet connection. MSs' Internet Connection Sharing will then sort out speed and all that associated malarchy for it.
One easy work around is to always leave TMs' computer switched on.

One thing to look out for though if you have got it set up with Internet Connection Sharing, is that it sets the default Windows Update value to automatic, so it goes off and logs into the Microsoft website looking for updates without you even telling it to. You can turn this off through Control Panel though. ( Guess who's just had this problem themselves )

Hi Pastey

It is a 'Linksys Etherfast Cable/DSL router' according to the box which is sitting winking at as I type this.

We both have a separate MacaFee prog installed - we have both certainly paid the fees to them and I installed mine anew as soon as the new hard drive was fitted.

TMs computer is always on!

Having thought that logging HIM into h2g2 first did the trick last week, I tried again yesterday, but this time I just got time-outs once more when trying to add or edit pages. Logging on as shazz or Post Team works very quickly, as does posting to fora if the message isn't too long.

shazz

This system was used before my hard drive failed - with no problems at all. TM and I could both be logged in to h2g2 and work as per normal!
The only difference in settings etc is that now I also have Win2000 whereas before I had WinME.

Any more tech stuff I'll have to ask TM to look at!

shazz

A router is definatley the better option.

It'll probably be a setting within Win2000 that isn't working right. Check them between the two computers making sure they're identical.
Maybe even check the router itself to see if there are some setting that you can adjust. Manufacturers websites often have good FAQs, and email support is a lot better these days.

I'll do that then!

As you can see - I had to post that in 2 halves as I got yet another time-out!

shazz

Just a thought - would the problem be eased by actually turning TM's computer OFF?
Wouldn't that then release the bandwidth for my own exclusive use?

shazz

Well - things go from bizarre to ridiculous!

When TM got home last night we compared settings and also checked the possibilities with the router advanced options. FYI we DO get allocated different IP addresses.

My settings and TM's were the same - but then I suggested that TM try to edit and update a longish entry. He also got timeouts and was unable to work with anything bigger than about 100 characters!

So - neither of us can actually add or edit pages on h2g2 although the rest of the net works fast and efficiently - TM often posts very long messages on the Het Kasteel fora with no problems at all.

I think that I may have to ask the allmighty JL to have a look and see what the problem is!

shazz

Sounds like you shall have to

When you say you're getting timeouts - are these timeouts from the BBC's servers, or is it your internet connection that's timing out? Since you've got 24/7 it's not your modem dropping the line, is it?

(A BBC timeout will probably end with a reference to Squid on the bottom line, and an error saying something like "Connection Timeout" and references to proxy errors).

To be honest, it looks like a random routing problem. Packets are not being reliably routed to your machines, probably because connection sharing is not properly set up. Since the problem happens when both of you are talking to the same server, it indicates that the returned packets from us don't know where to go. They are probably all hitting TM's machine, and he's just ignoring them because they're not in repsonse to anything he's done.

Unfortunately, this kind of network problem can be quite hairy to sort out, and it's not something I do much of.

Assuming your system is supposed to be set up as follows:

TM's machine has the cable modem connected to it.
That connection has the 'Allow other network users to connect through this computer's internet connection' button ticked somewhere in the properties for that connection.
Your machine has 'Obtain an IP address automatically' and 'Obtain DNS server address automatically' set in the TCP/IP settings for your LAN connection (I can't remember which dialog that's in - I've only got XP in front of me, where they've all moved).

That's the setup which usually works for me. If it's not set up like that, I'm afraid you're on your own. I'mn pretty sure it's not a problem with our servers.

Ah - missed the reference to a 'hub'.

In this case, either both of you should have 'Obtain an IP address automatically' set, or you should have different IP addresses (but the same gateway).

The error message we both get is:
Cannot find server or DNS Error
Internet Explorer

This happens even when I am here alone and TM doesn't have either a web browser or email prog open.

We have tried following your guidelines for setting up the settings just now, but still getting the same problem.

TM has just run test - added an entry with pure numbers to check out where the problem starts. He could add an entry of a few characters and then, by a process of adding and deleting, found that we experienced a problem at around 170, 2-character lines.

You can see this test at A830521

shazz

Also the 'obtain IP address automatically' direction is set in the configuration of the hub.

shazz

OK, so the problem is specifically with the actual size of the article? Which is interesting.

I've come across a similar problem - using the http upload facility of IE to upload files to a server, if the files are above a certain size I get exactly the same as you - couldn't find server or DNS error.

It could be that your proxy has some kind of limit on it, so that it doesn't let packets through above a certain size. I've never found anything in IE which suggests this is the case, but it's possible.

It's definitely not our servers (I allege) - you'd get a proxy error or an error 500 if it was us choking on it.

Does the problem also happen when you hit 'Preview'?